Dean says he would end funding for deployment of a missile defense system

Dean, who has risen to the top of the Democratic field in part because of his early and vehement opposition to the war in Iraq, also said he favors immediate elections in Iraq to replace the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, which he said is viewed by the average Iraqi as "simply a council of American-chosen puppets." Dean further said he would end funding for the deployment of a missile defense system, a centerpiece of President Bush's presidential campaign four years ago.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62184-2003Dec13.html

These repubs sure like the graft from that missle defense system. Half the money has disappeared down a big hole. Probably with the half of Iraqi money that no one knows where it went

That's why it could be brought back to life.

Ending funding isn't enough, I want to hear that the program itself will be ended for good.

Maybe reduce the deficit?

:-)

;-)

:)

into renuable and alternative energy research.

the whole program is nothing but a giant boondoggle anyway. No engineer or scientist believes this thing would ever actually work, and the US has been working on it for 50 years!!! (research on this kind of system long predates the fancy space-based "star wars" of reagan infamy).

Didn't the Clarkies tell us he supported missle defence? I sapose they are now going to acuse him of flip floping.

It was fabricated.

Perhaps a short and concise explanation why it's not prudent to stop incoming missiles launches by a rogue element.

The United States is currently attempting to develop several components of a missile defense system designed to protect U.S. territory from attack by long-range (strategic) ballistic missiles.

Under the Bush administration, missile defenses have received $7 billion to $8 billion annually, and the FY04 budget request is $9 billion. In December 2002, the Bush administration announced that it would deploy the first phase of a rudimentary missile defense system by the time of the 2004 presidential elections—even though the system is in the very early stages of testing.

This extraordinary emphasis on missile defense represents misplaced priorities. The administration's top priority should instead be combating the threat of nuclear terrorism by increasing its programs to keep nuclear warheads and materials out of the hands of terrorists. The Bush administration, however, is giving this problem a fraction of the attention and funding being given to missile defense. The missile defense system being rushed into deployment is not relevant to the war on terrorism.

The system the Bush administration plans to deploy by 2004 will have essentially no defense capability. The technology needed for an effective missile defense system still doesn't exist. All the systems being developed are in early stages of research and development, and will have undergone only rudimentary testing by the time they will be fielded in 2004-2006. Operational testing will not have begun and test conditions will remain far from realistic. None of the X-band radars that are central to the system will be built by 2004.

And even if the technology worked perfectly, the systems being deployed are vulnerable to countermeasures that are easier to build than the long-range missile on which they would be placed. The UCS-MIT report Countermeasures was instrumental in calling attention to this problem and contributed to President Clinton’s 2000 decision not to deploy the system the Bush administration is now fielding.

more...

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/missile_defense/index.cfm

We're spending billions of dollars on a system that does not defend us against incoming missiles. Though North Korea is definitely a nuclear threat, the major threat we face today is more likely to come in on a fishing boat via New York harbor in the form of a small nuke or bioweapon.

in Iraq that were used as rocket launchers.

If anybody wants to hit us, there are a zillion ways to do it without hurling inter-continental missles through the stratosphere.

Low tech works. Look at 9/11.

My father worked at the highest levels of R&D weapons technology in and out of the military. He is a staunch republican, yet he tells me that the missle defense shield is a fabrication of politicians, that scientists like him know that it will never work.

No matter what system you design, even if it works (and it's a long ways for working at all), the enemy has to merely overwhelm it with decoys and junk in order to render it completely useless.

It's a money pit, a veritable black hole of pork. Politicians love it because people who don't understand the technology (like yourself) think "gee, why wouldn't you want this?" and also it can give them endless corporate welfare dollars for their favorite companies.

See post #13 above. The only reason republicans still support this nonsense is that it was promised by Saint Ronald the Wise <*sarcasm alert*> and that it will be as you say "a black hole for pork".

Thanks for playing. I can assure you that A+N is always greater than B and it's only a matter of A => B while N > 0. If you think America can't keep its pace then try re-reading your history of WWII.

This really has nothing to do with star wars but please don't claim I don't understand "the technology" unless you are prepared to give me a test.

you'd understand how and why it is useless.

no insult intended. but I find it sad that republicans get away with lying because they know that people are, in general, ignorant of the technology

sorry I mussed your hair

Is that short and concise enough?

lol

I hasn't worked, it doesn't work and it will never work as anything but a way to steal money from the taxpayers.

Last estimate, the system had a greater than 80% FAILURE rate. It's a good idea, in theory, but it's a waste of resources if it can't be instituted effectively.

:eyes:

This is the same old Reagan star wars crap that they are trying to resurrect to steal taxpayer's money. Imagine maybe Dean can put the money into universal health care instead.

some Dean-haters were posting the other day that Dean planned to continue funding Star Wars.

like many of their arguments, it appears to be bullshit.

;-)

I am sorry to hear this sad news. Since Ronald Reagan
first discovered Star Wars in his garage workshop
one afternoon while clearing brush, I have looked
forward to looking up into the heavens one glistening
night and gasping in happy awe as the Great Shield of the
Strategic Defence Intiatiave unfulred to fill the skies
like a Milky Way of peace and American safety, protecting me,
my loved ones, and all my gym eqipument, from communists,
terrorists, non-billionaire immigrants, poor people, unruly
gal clubs, and anybody else who might have a nuclear missile. But,
alas and alak.

:yourock:

;-)

actually pays attention to what the scientists say? What a concept. :think:

because it would help so much against TERRORISM.

and it seems too good to be true

I hope he doesn't want to stop funding R&D on a missle Defense system.

not funding research. Research is much different than funding a "starwars" system that is ineffective.

Nice for Dean to finally jump in. I'm waiting for the flip-flop any day now.

....because that will enable Kerry to stay in the Senate to defeat any vote that Junior might try to push through this year - so he can give his defense contractor buddies a big bonus in exchange for funding his attempt at an actual election.

typical leadership from Kerry